European politicians urge Biden to promote Israel-Palestine ‘peace’
London (QNN)- A group of European Parliamentarians from national parliaments of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain and Sweden and the European Parliament have written to President-elect Joe Biden urging him to work with Europe to promote Israel-Palestine peace based on international law.
Julie Elliott, Richard Burden, Layla Moran, Andrew Selous and Bruno Joncour were among those who signed the letter sent to Biden.
European politicians urge Biden to work with Europe to promote Israel-Palestine peace based on international law | Council for Arab-British Understanding https://t.co/bxOZgggbcz
— Richard Burden (@RichardBurden27) December 21, 2020
Parliamentarians from UK, Ireland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, France, and the Netherlands pen letter to @JoeBiden on Palestine, ask him to realign US policy with int'l & work with Europe to realize two-state solution. Thank you 🙏 from 🇵🇸
Time to #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/HdE3PwyQBj— PLO Department of Public Diplomacy & Policy (@PalestinePDP) December 20, 2020
The letter read, “We come from parties across the political spectrum, united in our concern for equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians. We know that you share our concern for peace with justice and mutual security. We have read your pledges, and share your commitment to equality and democracy, contributing to peace.”
The parliamentarians urged Biden to let Europe play its part in promoting peace, “as neighbour, friend and economic partner to both peoples.”
“We need to work together to avert the outcome which Secretary Kerry so greatly feared, and warned against in his last speech as Secretary of State: “How does Israel reconcile a permanent occupation with its democratic ideals? How does the US continue to defend that and still live up to our own democratic ideals?”. He was brave and right to say “The settler agenda is defining the future of Israel”, which he feared would become “separate and unequal”. Prophetic words.”
The letter pointed out that settlements and house demolitions are a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and illegal under international law, calling to stop the expansion of settlements which are “designed to deprive a people of the right to self-determination and statehood.”
“All the land occupied by Israel in June 1967 – Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem – is occupied Palestinian territory. Acquisition of land by force is illegal. Equally wrong and just as dangerous is de facto annexation through systematic and accelerating settlement expansion, including in Givat Hamatos and E1 – intended to make two states impossible – and the destruction of Palestinian communities like Khirbet Humsa. Settlement expansion needs to stop.”
The parliamentarians also called on Biden to ensure that his “Administration implements UN Security Council Resolution 2334, inter alia by reversing the decision to allow US Government funding to assist research in illegal settlements.”
They also urged Biden to ensure that drugs and medical equipment enter Gaza freely amid the COVID-19 pandemic, calling to end the 13-year Gaza blockade.
“Gaza, where 2 million people have been locked in since 2007, endures today an unprecedented COVID crisis, with local health services unable to cope. As the occupying power, Israel has responsibility to treat the occupied people as it would its own – with a duty to ensure that drugs and medical equipment enter Gaza freely, and that patients can access the West Bank (including Jerusalem) for specialist treatment.”
